Email Newsletter Layout Ideas To Drive Engagement

Connor McGregor went from being the average Irish guy to being the highest-paid athlete in the UFC. In 2021 he became the world's highest-earning athlete, making $8.6 Million per minute.

Connor was a good fighter, but he could be better. He has lost four out of his last five fights. He’s not even ranked in the top ten of his division. And yet, all eyes are on him for his return this year.

What makes Connor McGregor so unique? Why does everyone want to see him? What does this have to do with your newsletter? The answer to all three questions is simple: charisma and personality.

Joe Rogan, an MMA commentator and podcast host, has said that Conor's "charisma is off the charts. Whenever Conor enters the Octagon, you know something special is about to happen! His aura alone captivates crowds worldwide, and this showmanship is undoubtedly part of what makes him so successful."

Connor's success is a testament to the power of charisma. It really can help you get to the top! Whether he wins or loses, fans are always eager to watch his fights and show their support for him.

Similarly, one way to ensure your newsletter is engaging and gets opened is by paying attention to its layout. Does your email newsletter have a personality? This article will teach you how to give personality to your email newsletter, drive engagement, and grow by implementing an engaging layout.

Newsletters With Personality

“How do I make an email newsletter more interesting?” This is one of the most frequent questions we hear at beehiiv.

When you analyze successful newsletters such as Morning Brew, Milk Road, The Hustle, GeekOut, and others, you find that each has its own unique personality. In Jordan Peterson's words, they are articulated. (More on this later.)

A newsletter’s personality is reflected in its layouts, the way it communicates with its audience, and its writing style. These aspects make a newsletter unique and help it connect with the audience.

For instance, Morning Brew has a straightforward, yet casual style. They use simple language and short sentences that are easy to understand and relate to. Their content is interspersed with colorful visuals that help capture the reader's attention.

The Hustle's personality reflects its name: energetic, direct, and fun. They also rely heavily on visuals and infographics to draw readers in and clarify complex topics without overwhelming them.

Geekout is much more technical than other newsletters, focusing on data-driven insights from the tech industry. Their layout is less visually appealing than other newsletters but still effectively uses bold colors and fonts to highlight important points.

Milk Road has a fun, down-to-earth style characterized by its meme imagery. They add a touch of personality to their content.

What Would Jordan Peterson Do if He Were Managing Your Newsletter?

Jordan Peterson has become one of the most popular influencers in the last few years. One of the ideas that resonates most with his audience is to “articulate your life.”

According to Peterson, articulation theory is rooted in the idea that success comes from understanding oneself and the world around you.

By exploring the various aspects of our personalities, we can recognize patterns and behaviors that lead to better decision-making and improved life outcomes. It helps us become more emotionally intelligent and enables us to make mindful choices that reflect our values.

By understanding our strengths and weaknesses, we can better inform our choices and create a life that is authentically ours.

"When taking the time to explore our unique traits," says Peterson, "we can open ourselves up to new opportunities for growth, progress, and success."

The same can be said for your newsletter. It's important to develop a strong personality to form meaningful relationships with your readers. With a recognizable personality, newsletters can engage more effectively with their audience and foster stronger relationships over time.

The personality of each newsletter serves as an invaluable asset that helps it stand out from the competition and succeed in today's crowded marketplace. When your newsletter has an identifiable personality, it is an articulated newsletter.

How Do You Structure an Email Newsletter?

Establishing the proper structure for your email newsletters is critical to ensuring that it captures readers' attention and encourages them to take action. Here are some crucial steps to consider.

Subject Line

Begin with a catchy subject line that offers an attractive value proposition and encourages people to open the message. Your subject line must grab the customer's attention and curiosity with just a few words.

If you need ideas to create great subject lines, here are more than 100 ideas you can use.

Content

The content must be engaging, practical, and relevant to the readers. It should focus on impactful stories and breaking news in your industry. Offer real solutions for real problems or include data points that inspire the reader to take action.

See the subject line as the box of a product and the content as the product itself. You can fake a couple of people with a shiny box, but a killer product is what will make the customer come back over time for more.

Content is king. Period. Here are 10 Content Ideas For Your Next Newsletter.

Visuals

When it comes to making your newsletter unique and engaging, images are essential. Using them can create a dynamic and compelling email experience for your subscribers. Some options include infographics, charts, memes, drawings, photographs, videos, polls, or product shots.

Using quality imagery helps capture readers’ attention and draws them into the content. Images can also help break up long blocks of text, which makes it easier for recipients to digest the message. On top of that, striking visuals make it easy for users to share your newsletters on social media, increasing its reach even further.

When selecting images for your newsletter, remember to choose those that represent your brand in the best way possible; this is an opportunity to reinforce who you are as a company.

We created a great guideline to help you find the best email image sizes for your newsletter.

Call to Action

Ensure you have a clear call-to-action at the end, or even several times across the layout.

You can have an engaging subject line. You can have killer content that makes people read until the very end. You can have great visuals that improve the experience. But without a call to action, your email is like inviting someone to a party without telling them how to get there.

If you want readers to take action after reading your email, you must provide them with clear instructions on what to do next. Make sure that the call-to-action buttons are visible and easy to understand. It should be clear why they are clicking and how it will benefit them.

By adding a CTA, you are allowing your readers to convert into customers or take advantage of other opportunities in the email. So make sure you include a solid call to action in every email.

Here are some CTA examples to help you start.

Brand Consistency

It is essential to be consistent across all the materials when creating a brand. This consistency will help with recognition and will create an image of your business in customers' minds.

You can make a bigger impact on readers by keeping the same tone of voice, colors, designs, and layouts when developing your email newsletter content. Consistent messaging also helps foster trust with your audience as they become accustomed to what to expect from your emails.

Brand consistency extends beyond just emails; it applies to all aspects of your marketing efforts for maximum success. Additionally, staying consistent throughout different publications helps keep your message unified and amplified within the market.

A well-defined brand and consistency are essential for creating an effective layout that resonates with your audience and drives results. If you need some inspiration, here are some templates to get you started.

Creating a powerful layout for your newsletter helps you engage customers and sponsors and can be the key to driving more business.

Making sure that the layout is organized, visually appealing, and easy to navigate helps readers find what they need quickly and makes it easier for them to consume your content.

Personality Drives Engagement

Remember the following five elements of an effective newsletter:

1. Engaging Subject Lines: Get people interested in your offer and ensure they open your emails.

2. Content is King: if you have good, unique, and relevant content, then people will be engaged with what you present.

3. Good visuals: Visuals are also important, as this helps break up text-heavy sections and makes for an aesthetically pleasing layout

4. Call to Action: You should always have a call to action that encourages people to take the next step.

5. Brand Consistency: create a unified look across all of your content to ensure you’re easily recognizable.

Done right, a good layout can grab people's attention and incentivize them to engage with what you have to offer.

Now is the time to give your email newsletter a unique and charismatic personality. Sign up now!